Method of decorating cloth



March 1936- H. c. RATHKE METHOD OF DECORATING" CLOTH Filed Feb. 6, 1933 Patented Mar. 31, 1936 UNITED STATES DGGTCH ilk) PATENT OFFICE METHOD OF DECORATING CLOTH Application February 6, 1933, Serial No. 655,480

4 Claims.

Heretofore, so far as I am aware, there has been no way of successfully decorating cloth with decalcomanias in such a manner that the decorations are durable and will not be damaged by folding, wrinkling or crumpling the cloth or by rubbing the cloth.

The primary object of the present invention is to produce a simple and novel method of decorating cloth with decalcomanias in such a way that the decorations become an integral part of the cloth in the manner of a dye impregnating the threads or fibers rather than as a superficial film or coating adhering to the cloth.

In carrying out my invention in the preferred way, I first print or lithograph or by any other process create the desired design or decoration on a gum coated paper backing employing for that purpose suitable pigmented lacquers. The cloth to be decorated is then made wet with a solvent or liquefying agent for the lacquer and the design is laid, face down, on the wet cloth and is pressed or rolled into intimate contact with the cloth. The solvent renders the lacquer sufficiently fluid to cause it'to flow down into the cloth, carrying the pigments with it. The paper backing is then removed. After the application of the design to the cloth, it no longer exists in the form of a definite film such as one is accus tomed to see, when a decalcomania is transferred; but it is found to be incorporated in the body of the fabric in the manner of a dye. When the proper materials are used in the production of the design and as the solvent or liquefying agent, the design will be transferred cleanly, without spreading or diffusion of the colors, and without distortion.

While my invention or discovery is particularly applicable to cloth, more or less the same effect is obtained in connection with the decoration of 40 any porous object or body as, for example, raw wood, wall board of fibrous materials or faced with fibrous materials. Furthermore, good results are obtained in decorating objects of nonporous materials, the decorations in such cases retaining a definite film formation. It should also be noted that the invention or discovery is not limited to the application of a decalcomania color film to an object to be decorated; but contemplates the placing of the design in any manner, as long as the proper materials are employed, upon such object in the presence of a solvent or liquefying agent.

In actual practice I have employed cellulose or lacquer colors in manufacturing decalcomanias butyl cellu-solve mixed with water as the solvent; good results having been obtained with a mixture containing two parts of butyl cellu-solve and one part of water. I have also discovered that by adding a mordant to the solvent the decoration on the cloth becomes fixed or set and less apt to be damaged if rained upon or washed.

In applying the decalcomania, I have found it advisable to dip the same in water before placing it on the cloth or other object to which the design is to be transferred; thereby allowing the water to soak through the paper to the gum coating while the decalcomania is being rolled or pressed into intimate engagement with the surface of such object. In this way the paper backing is ready to come off as soon as the rolling of the decalcomania is completed. While, in decorating cloth, I believe it to be advisable to wet the same with the solvent or liquefying agent, before transferring a decalcomania thereto, in the case of other materials, it will often be unnecessary to do more than dip the decalcomania into the solvent or liquefying agent after having first been dipped in water, in order to cause the decoration to adhere in the form of a distinct film.

A piece of cloth having a design incorporated therein in accordance with my invention retains its initial flexibility and may be folded, crumpled, creased, rubbed or washed, without injury to the design. The color film itself is tough and yet pliable so that when it is transferred in a manner to cause it to retain its identity as a distinct film it is not only durable but, if its supporting object is flexible, it does not interfere with the flexing of such object and is not injured thereby.

My improved method is illustrated in the accompanying drawing: wherein Figure 1 is an elevational view of the decalcomania, before transfer. fragments being broken away; Fig. 2 is a vertical section through a receptacle containing water in which the decalcomania is being dipped; Fig. 3 is an edge view of a piece of fabric, together with a nozzle that is spraying the solvent on the fabric; Fig. 4 is an edge view of the dampened fabric upon which the dampened decalcomania is being rolled fiat; Fig. 5 is an elevational view of the fabric after the transfer has been completed; and Fig. 6 is a section on a greatly magnified scale taken on line 66 of Fig. 5.

The decalcomania I may comprise the usual paper backing I having thereon a gum coating 3 on which the ink film 4, carrying the design for carrying out my invention or discovery, and. 5 is printed. 5 is a piece of fabric to which the solvent 1 may be applied in any suitable manper as, for example, by a spraying nozzle 8. The decalcomania is conveniently dipped into water contained in a receptacle A in order to make it wet and is then laid upon the dampened fabric; being rolled flat by means of a suitable roller B as shown in Fig, 4. When the paper is peeled off, the design 5 appears in the fabric as shown in Fig. 5. This design does not overlie the fabric in the manner of a film, but is incorporated in the fibers of the fabric, in the manner of a dye. Thus, in Fig. 6, the stippling 9 indicates the design-forming material that has penetrated the fibers of the fabric.

I claim:

1. The method of decorating cloth which consists in producing a design of pigmented lacquer secured to a gum coating on a paper backing, wetting the cloth with a solvent for the lacquer diluted with water, pressing the said design firmly against the wet cloth, and then removing the backing.

2. The method of decorating cloth which consists in producing a design in the form of a film secured to a water-soluble gum coating on a paper backing and composed of pigments in a holding and binding vehicle, wetting the cloth. with a solvent for said vehicle diluted with water, Wetting the paper backing with water, pressing the design. into intimate contact with the wet cloth, and removing the paper backing.

3. The method of decorating cloth which consists in producing a design of pigmented lacquer secured to a water-soluble gum coating on a paper backing, wetting the cloth with a solvent for the lacquer diluted with water, dipping the design and its backing in water, pressing the said design firmly against the wet cloth, and then removing the backing.

4. The method of decorating cloth which consists in imposing a design of pigmented lacquer upon a water-soluble gum coating on a flexible porous backing, wetting the cloth with a solvent for the lacquer diluted with water, wetting said backing sufficiently to cause the gum coating to become moist within a short perior after the wetting, pressing the entire design firmly against the wet cloth, and then removing the backing.

HARRY C. RATHKE. 

